The NFL is in the business of entertaining, and apparently the league's best cornerback got the memo.
During one of ESPN's many gimmicky interactions with professional athletes, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis called Patriots coach Bill Belichick a "jerk" during a word-association game a couple months ago.
Thursday, Revis was asked about it when addressing the New York media. Most players from 31 NFL teams would likely opt for the "no comment" route in this particular situation. You know, in the interest of avoiding any added drama. Not Revis. Not the Jets.“I gave my honest opinion,” Revis said, according to the New York Daily News. “.... That’s how I feel. I feel that people let him slide when he says his smart remarks (on) certain things. He says comments about us like he never coached here…. He did. That’s just how I felt. So they told me to sum it up. I gave one word. He can take it how he wants.
"... I said what I had to say. He still has to coach and I still have to go out there and play.
“I have respect for him. Winning is winning,” Revis continued. “But sometimes things are disrespectful. When you say certain comments about the Jets, some stuff is disrespectful. It’s okay to have a rivalry. It’s okay to compete. But when it gets personal, you’re getting disrespectful. I didn’t start this battle. The smart remarks sometimes he says are ignorant. It’s ignorant to this organization.”
When asked which "remarks" Revis was referring to, Revis referenced Belichick's caught-on-microphone “Thirty-seven points on the best defense in the league, suck my d–k" comment he made to his son after a victory over the Jets last season.
"Why go there? You won fair and square," Revis said. "Hey, we shook your hand after the game. We’ll see you in New England or wherever in the playoffs, ok. But when you start saying stuff like that… no… it gets too personal. You don’t have to say that. … Did anybody else say anything like that? No… not from our side. Bart (Scott) said his thing… 'Can’t Wait' thing. But he still didn’t disrespect. He just said that they feel like they’re better than us. That’s okay. It’s personal. It’s disrespectful.”
And when reminded of fellow Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie calling Patriots quarterback Tom Brady an a--hole a few years ago, Revis didn't disagree.
“If that’s how he acts on the field. That’s how he acts," Revis said. "He wants to throw a touchdown and point at our sideline. That’s disrespect, man. That’s not sportsmanship. Now do people say words on the field to each other? Yeah… that’s in between the lines. But then when it’s getting out of hand… Come on, man. Come on. Sportsmanship.”
The thing about the Jets' politically-incorrect ways is you either love it or love it hate it. Either way, you're reacting. And that's entertainment.
Gang Green has that part down. The Super Bowl part, however, is still a work in progress.
Follow Nick @NickStDenis
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily
